Sorry if there's something I've missed, but I've been scouring the internet for weeks now and I'm getting exasperated. Letters are all starting to look the same.
My ZL is through Bell, and as such the bootloader is not unlockable. Infuriating, considering how desperately I'm longing for CM. Since the bootloader cannot presently be unlocked, I'm restricted to the stock kernel. But that doesn't necessarily mean I'm forced to use a stock-based ROM, correct?
Is it possible, in any capacity whatsoever, to install even a nightly build of CM on a stock kernel, with a locked bootloader? :fingers-crossed:
I have CWM installed, and she's rooted.
Furthermore, have there been any whispering on progress regarding unlocking a bootloader that 'can't' be unlocked (beat that dead horse, beat it good...)? I'll install Ubuntu if I have to, I've got loads of hard drive space.
An idea occurred to me earlier today when checking to see if we had an unlocked boot loader for our G3s. Wouldn't it be possible to do something along the lines of signing our custom ROMs with the signature of the stock ROM? So that when the boot loader checks the ROM, it thinks its the stock version? I looked into it a little bit while on break at work and one of the HTC phones that had a locked boot loader did something similar to this (tricking the boot loader into thinking its stock). Unless there's other ways the boot loader checks for legitimacy, it should work. Granted if we did this we still wouldn't be able to do things like flashing kernels or making proper backups (or easy flashing in case of a bootloop!). Anyone have any other thoughts on it or know if we've tried it already? Most likely not due to no publicly available ROMs for the g3.
Tl;Dr Sign a custom ROM with the stock ROMs signature to use the custom ROM, even with a locked boot loader.
Sent from LGLS990
Try it fir yourself and let us know the result ?
Hello,
I have a Xperia ZL C6506 with a locked bootloader. I would like to unlock it, or at least root the phone.
Bootloader unlock allowed: No
Android 4.4.4
Kernel version: 3.4.0-perfg1bb39c2
Build Number: 10.5.1A.0.292
Country: Canada
Flashtool will not root the phone, even trying Towelroot V3.
Seems like every answer I find on XDA says something about my phone is always stopping me. Either 4.4.4 is a problem, or BL locked, or 0.292, I can't root... What am I missing?
Do I have to flash a new kernel or rom? Is it even safe to flash anything, even if it is stock, on a phone with a locked bootloader? I do not want to brick.
Thanks in advance for your help!
I found this forum: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-zl/help/rooting-xperia-zl-t2994781
But,
I read this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z1/development/newroot-z1-t2807092 it says: "Newroot work with all kitkat firmwares but doesn't work with latest kitkat *after 108) .133, .157... firmware or with old JB firmwares!!!"
This is the only thing that I have found that I have not tried, but I am hesitant to try and flash an old kernel on a phone with a locked bootloader. Is it safe to flash anything on a locked bootloader?
Himura357 said:
I am hesitant to try and flash an old kernel on a phone with a locked bootloader. Is it safe to flash anything on a locked bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is safe, as long as you know what you are doing. Put it this way: flashing the downgraded kernel will not screw you up, but doing things the wrong way might.
1. Download this. It's NOT a flashable zip! Just unzip it, and use FTF files to flash the appropriate kernels.
2. Read my post that you linked. It gives you all the steps of the process. Installing recovery is optional, but highly recommended (very useful). Use the kernels you downloaded from my link above.
That's it! A couple of notes...
- I am assuming you know how to use the FlashTool. Not the original one from Sony, but the the one by Androxide. Make sure you are familiar with it before flashing!
- Newroot DOES work with .230 kernel. I have done it many times while playing with different ROM versions, works perfectly. Make sure you enable USB debugging, and watch your phone for prompts to grant access. Your phone should reboot after successful rooting. If for some reason it doesn't work, just try again.
- When you flash .230 kernel, you may have some weird issues with your phone. You will lose WiFi. Your phone may start vibrating for no reason (mine did). Maybe something else, I dunno... Don't worry, it's only temporary. Everything will get back to normal once you flash .292 kernel after rooting. Again, tried and proven fully working many times.
- If you decide to upgrade to LP afterwards, this will also be your procedure to recover, if you screw something up in the process (been there, done that). Just flash your .292 stock ROM, then repeat the rooting process, then start with LP over again.
Happy rooting!
Thanks so much. It is crystal clear now. Always good to get some advice from someone who has done it before on the same phone.
Trying to flash and I got this error (attached pic)
I am running the newest flashtool. I didn't have any problem with the older flashtool in the past when I used to flash my older phones. Also, the older one installed completely in one folder, this one installs in 2 folders, one in C: and the other in C:/users/Me for some reason.
I installed the V1.5 driver package. Not sure what else is wrong. I unzipped the zip file, put the kernel.only.ftf into the firmwares folder, I clicked flash, selected the .ftf file and connected the phone in flashmode. No dice.
Ok, tried it again, this time it didn't get a red error, I got a different one, and my build number is still 10.5.1.A.0292...
Installed recoveries.
Pic is attached.
Okay!
So, after the first flash, the build number didn't change, but the kernel was applied. I just tried using newroot and it worked, superuser is there. Just like you said, the wifi stopped working with the new kernel. I flashed the 0.292 kernel and the wifi came back, and the phone is still rooted.
Thanks for you help kt-Froggy!
Himura357 said:
Okay!
So, after the first flash, the build number didn't change, but the kernel was applied. I just tried using newroot and it worked, superuser is there. Just like you said, the wifi stopped working with the new kernel. I flashed the 0.292 kernel and the wifi came back, and the phone is still rooted.
Thanks for you help kt-Froggy!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know! Cheers!
Hey first time posting on xda devs and would like to know how to unlock bootloader, root the phone, and install custom ROM.
Now I have spent entire day backing up and searching the different people root but if someone can help me and point me in the right direction that would be great.
So I have a S3 from ATT Model: SGH-I747, Version: 4.1.2 JellyBean, BaseBand Version: I747UCDMG2, Kernel: 3.0.31 - 1300972. It is a stock ROM, I have never done anything to the phone at all before.
Now I will admit I followed a youtube video call "How to Root AT&T Galaxy S3 SGH-I747!" by High on Android and I did everything in the video. I used odin v1.85, I did the PDA to the CWM.tar file, phone rebooted and I added the CWM superuser file and that is when I tried to get to CWM recovery mode and all I got was the phone's default recovery mode and not the CWM one.
From what I understand I believe I need to unlock bootloader first, but again this is a my first doing this and I hoping someone can point me in the right direction. Forum post state that you should follow guides that is exactly the same to the phone you would like to install custom ROMs.
Honestly I would like to ultimately be able to install a recovery mode that works with my phone that I am able to create snapshot image of my stock phone in case anything happens or I would like to go back to my stock image (which I highly doubt if everything goes fine) and install a custom ROM (I know there are different ROMs if someone can point me to where I can check out all the custom ROMs and not necessarily install those custom ROMs that would be awesome) and finally get rid of ATT loading screen when booting up the phone and install a custom boot loading screen, but of course I care more about getting the custom ROM install first.
If anyone can help that would be great.
The bootloader is not locked and using any app or program to unlock the bootloader will probably brick the phone.
The phones bootloader is already unlocked. Only verision s3 has a locked bootloader. Also you need to be in download mode for odin to work
So I think many people here know about the new xperia bootloader that allows the use of normal roms ans recoveries with dedicated partitions (more details here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3096835).
But I also heard that upgrading to this bootloader made flashing stock ROMs impossible, so I wanted to know if that was true.
If true, I have a backup of my actual unlocked bootloader (didn't make a backup before unlocking because the warranty is loooong gone now) and if I restore it after making the update, will that allow me to go back to stock ROMs ?
Really hope I could get an answer, has anyone tried flashing stock ROMs after updating the bootloader ?